1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to rack devices capable of carrying articles such as bicycles, skiis and the like on the exterior of vehicles and particularly to several related embodiments of carrier racks mountable to existing spare tire carriers on a rear door of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Article carriers, particularly bicycle carriers, removably mountable to the exterior of a vehicle have long been known in the art. Such prior devices commonly mount bicycles and other articles on the roof of a vehicle or on the rear of a vehicle with attachment to vehicle structure such as a bumper, trailer hitch and even a spare tire and wheel mounted externally of a vehicle on a rear door thereof. As examples, Traugh in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,597; Temple in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,728; and Davies in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,074 generally describe bicycle racks or similar article carriers removably mounted in association with a spare tire mounted externally of a vehicle. The devices disclosed in these patents generally provide resilient or spring-loaded structures which mount about the spare tire itself under tension and hold a bicycle or other article so that the article can be transported by the vehicle without utilizing vehicle interior space. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,413 to Began et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,414 to DeGuevara, tubular article carriers are disclosed which include a "foot" portion received within a trailer hitch. Even in view of the large number of bicycle and other article carriers which have been provided in the prior art, a need continues to exist in the art for a simple, light-weight and easily removable carrier apparatus which can be mounted to a rear door of a vehicle in association with a spare tire and wheel carried on the door of the vehicle. A long-felt need has also existed in the art for such an article carrier apparatus which can mount more than one bicycle or the like safely above a road bed with enough clearance therefrom to avoid road hazards as well as to position more than one bicycle safely above the hot exhaust of the vehicle on which the bicycles are carried. A further need has been felt in the art for a carrier rack apparatus which allows opening and closure of the vehicle rear door with the carrier and bike attached to the existing spare tire mounting arrangement.
The present invention provides solution to these long-felt needs in the art and further provides mounting arrangements which are adjustable both vertically and in horizontal directions both parallel to and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle on which the carrier rack apparatus is mounted. In addition to being readily detachable from the spare tire mounting arrangement of a vehicle, the present carrier rack apparatus can be readily locked so that the carrier rack apparatus cannot be removed by unauthorized persons.